It was heartbreaking -- to say the least -- to read Haroon Siddiqui's last column in the Toronto Star.
But in life, everything at one point will come to an end.
Siddiqui was a voice of sanity at a time when extremism has dominated our walk of life.
He was a voice of balance at a time when balance is nowhere to be found. In a world of madness where George W. Bush had drawn a line on the sand that meant you are either with us or with the enemy
Siddiqu has demonstrated in his columns that the world isn't that narrow as Mr. Harper made us believe. As we learnt from this brilliant columnist, we can live and let live. The world is big enough to accommodate us all.
He was an inspiration and a voice of hope especially to the immigrants and those who are marginalized in the society.
He emitted a bright light in the horizon at a time when the darkness of extremism has infiltrated the newsrooms and the editorial boards of many news outlets.
He was a man who stood up firmly for justice and equality and was not afraid to stand up to the bullies in the government who are harassing Muslims and portraying them as an enemy from within.
I was hoping that when the time came for Siddiqui to put his pen down, he would consider gearing up for a spot in politics. I hoped he would lead the nation and make history as Obama did in the U.S. by being the first person of colour to do so.
All the best to Siddiqui. He will leave a gap that is hard to fill. Canada will miss him dearly.
He was a man of honour who even when you didn't agree with his point of view, you could still appreciate for his sense of reasoning.
I am not sure a building holds up when one if its columns is missing.
I wish I was in a position to persuade him to change his mind.
Voices of such calibre shouldn't be allowed to retire. Age is just a number.
When age starts bothering you, you just do what I do. I flip the numbers. 72 becomes 27 and then you are reborn again and start all over.
With sadness and sorrow we have to learn to respect Siddiqui's decision and wish him and his family goodness and happiness.